Editorial Services

Services and Rates

Now that you have successfully written your book, it is important that it be thoroughly examined by a professional editor. I offer the following services:

Line Editing (fiction and nonfiction): I will take a manuscript that does not require developmental editing and do a stylistic and organizational edit at the sentence level. This will involve a moderate level of re-writing to improve the clarity of sentences. I will focus on the following:

• Sentence structure
• Stylistic consistency
• Continuity
• Word choice
• Redundancies
• Subject/verb agreement
• Use of active voice
• Clarity of meaning
• Tightening of writing
• Awkward phrasing
• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Grammar
• Formatting.

Rate: $3.50 per page. ⁽¹⁾

Developmental Editing (nonfiction only): I will take a poorly written manuscript and write a critique letter detailing my thoughts on all aspects of the manuscript, including organization, readability, and substance. I will not rewrite your manuscript, but I will suggest solutions to the problems I've found. You may accept my solutions, or resolve the problems in your own fashion.

Rate: $3.50 per page. ⁽¹⁾

Regardless of the editorial service, I will insure that the author's individual voice and style are preserved.

⁽¹⁾ To determine the number of words in your manuscript, set the top, bottom, left and right margins to 1 inch, the font to 12 point Times New Roman, and the line spacing to double. In Microsoft Word, select File, then Properties and then Statistics to get a word count. One page = 300 words.

Acquiring My Services

Sample Edit. Selecting an editor who is right for your manuscript is an important decision that requires careful consideration. To help you with this process, I will provide a two-page sample edit of your manuscript (line editing only). Simply send me the first two pages of your manuscript. ⁽²⁾

Get a Quote. Submit a complete copy of your manuscript ⁽²⁾, along with the following information:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Address
• Manuscript title
• Services required: (a) line editing, or (b) developmental editing
• Document length (number of words)
• Deadline for completion.

I will review your manuscript and provide a price quote and approximate turnaround time, based on the requested editorial service, the document's length, and the requested deadline. There is no further obligation to use my service. I reserve the right to refuse to edit any manuscript or to refuse to edit at the level an author requests (i.e., I can refuse to do a line edit if I believe a manuscript is not ready for it).

Sign a Contract. Complete the Contract for Editorial Services and mail a hard copy to Mind Like Water, Attention: Content Manager, 7419 Metcalf Avenue # 321, Overland Park, KS 66204, along with (1) the down payment (see Payment below) and (2) a hard copy of your manuscript (this will not be returned to you). At the same time, send me an email (dino@mindlikewater.com) to let me know you've signed the contract, so I can begin work right away on your manuscript. You will receive a hard copy of the contract after it has been signed.

Relax. Sit back and relax, knowing that a professional editor is polishing your manuscript.

⁽²⁾ I will accept manuscripts in electronic format by email attachment or disk/CD only. Set the top, bottom, left and right margins to 1 inch, font to 12 point Times New Roman, and line spacing to double. Number the pages. Files should be in Microsoft Word. (If any of these requirements is a problem, other arrangements can be made.) Send your manuscript to dino@mindlikewater.com or Mind Like Water, Attention: Content Manager, 7419 Metcalf Avenue # 321, Overland Park, KS 66204. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of your disk/CD.

Editorial Process

For line editing:

Step 1. I will read the manuscript all the way through to get the flavor and rhythm of the writing, and will do an initial, quick edit.

Step 2. I will read the manuscript a second time and do a thorough edit.

Step 3. I will read the manuscript a third time and do a final edit.

I work only with electronic documents in Microsoft Word. (If this is a problem, other arrangements can be made.) I will make corrections on screen directly into the document, and the corrected text will be returned to the author. I will use Word's Track Changes option (under the Tools menu) so that the author can see all of the corrections I have made to the text. Using this option, the document can be viewed and printed either displaying or hiding the corrections. When corrections are displayed, deleted text is colored and struck through (e.g., “The meeting was scheduled for next week on Tuesday.”), while inserted text is colored and underlined (e.g., “Lindsey went to summer camp when she was twelve years old.”). This tool allows the author to accept or reject any changes made to the manuscript.

In addition, I will insert comments into the text if I need to communicate something to the author. These comments will be enclosed in square brackets and highlighted (e.g., [Please verify that I have retained your original meaning.]).

For developmental editing:

Step 1. I will read the manuscript all the way through to get an understanding of what the author is trying to communicate.

Step 2. I will write a critique letter detailing my thoughts on all aspects of the manuscript, focusing on communicating the author's idea more clearly while maintaining a good flow throughout the entire manuscript. 

Step 3. I will suggest solutions to the problems I’ve found, but will not rewrite the manuscript myself.

I keep in close contact with my clients, and welcome questions at any time.

Payment

A down payment of 40 percent of the total fee is required before initiation of editorial services. The remainder of the fee will be invoiced upon completion of the entire manuscript. The invoice will be due upon receipt. Mind Like Water accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express, personal checks and money orders (payable to Mind Like Water). To pay by mail, please mail your check or money order to Mind Like Water, Attention: Content Manager, 7419 Metcalf Avenue # 321, Overland Park, KS 66204. To pay by credit card, please phone (913) 381-4520.

Thank you for your interest in procuring my editorial services.